Method of lasting shoes



y 9, 1940- H. c. KING 2,206,900

METHOD OF LASTING SHOES Filad Oct. 6. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheetl July 9, 1940.H. c. KING METHOD OF LASTING SHOES Filed Oct. 6, 1938 2--Sheets-Sh et 2Patented July 9, 1940 2,206,900 METHOD OF LAS'IING SHOES Harry C. King,Quincy, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough ofFlemington, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 6,1938, Serial No. 233,515

6 Claims. (01. 12-145) mon use, for example latex, it is necessary toapply pressure either with or without heat to the overlasted upper for atime to insure that the cement will be sufliciently set to hold theupper in lasted position before removing the shoe from the lastingmachine. This occasions considerable inconvenience and delay, especiallywhen the heel end of the shoe is to be lasted in a separate machine suchas a heel-seat lasting machine, as is now a usual practice, and it ishence desirable to remove the shoe from the toe lasting machine as soonas the upper is worked into finally lasted position.

I have discovered that fresh latex cement,'such as liquid latex, whenapplied to the shoe upper and/or insole and heated just before the upperis wiped into finally lasted position, is rendered capable of causinginstant adhesion of the surfaces between which it is applied. Therefore,in accordance with my method, after a substantial part of the uppermaterials, except the outer layer, has been trimmed away around the toeportion of the shoe, latex is applied to the insole and to the innerface of the overlasted upper, the cement treated directly by heat, forexampleby applying thereto a heated iron, and the upper immediatelywiped into contact with the insole, whereupon instantaneous adhesionbetween the upper and the insole is effected and the shoe may beimmediately removed from the lasting machine. Preferably the cement onthe upper as well as on the insole is treated with a heated iron whichmay be employed effectively as a retarder during the wiping of the upperinto contact with the insole.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the forepart of a shoe the sides ofwhich have been lasted and illustrates the operation of trimming awaythe lasting allowance of the lining and toe box at the toe portion ofthe shoe;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view showing the application of latexcement to the inner face of the upper materials and the margin of theinsole;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the forepart of the shoe andthe adjacent portions of the bed lasting machine showing a heated ironbeing applied to the latex cement just prior to, the wipingof the upperagainst the insole; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the wipers of the lastingmachine in closed position in which they apply pressure to theoverlasted upper and cause instantaneous adhesion of the. upper to theinsole.

In carrying out my improved method of lasting, whereby freshly appliedlatex cement is capable of effecting instant adhesion between an upperand an insole in the lasting operation, a shoe is prepared asillustrated in Fig. 1, where the .outer layer of the upper is indicatedat ill, the lining at 2, the toe box at It, and the insole at l5.Preferably the upper rearwardly of the pullingover tacks l8 has alreadybeen lasted, for example by means of curved staples 20', though ofcourse this part of the shoe may be lasted in any convenient manner.Either before or after the shoe is placed in the bed lasting machine,the lasting allowance of the lining l2 and the toe box 1 3 is trimmedaway, for example by means of a hand knife 22. Instead of trimming thesematerials flush with the surface of the insole it, they may, if desired,be allowed to project oneeighth of an inch or more above the insole.Then, as shown in Fig. 2, latex cement is applied to the inner face ofthe upper 10 and the marginal portion of the insole l6, for example bymeans of a hand brush 24.

The cement may be applied to the insole and upper either before or afterthe shoe is placed in the bed lasting machine, and while the shoe is inthe machine, either before or after the latex cement has been applied,the wipers of the machine may be utilized to upwipe the upper about theend and sides of the toe and may even be overwiped upon the insole ifdesired. In this case, even if cement has been applied, it will notstick. After the upper materials have been properly worked up about thesides and end of the toe and the operator is ready to Wipe the lastingallowance of the upper in contact with the insole, the cement on theinsole and upper is treated by means of a heated iron 26 which has theeffect of driving out the greater. portion of the Water from thewater-dispersed rubber cement or latex and causing it immediately tobecome coalescent, that is, in condition to cause immediate adhesionbetween the surfaces to which it is applied. The heated iron 26 ispreferably shaped to correspond more or less to the contour of thewipers 28 of the bed lasting machine and, after the cement on the insolehas been treated by the heated iron, it may be employed to hold theupper against the wipers during their wiping operation to enhance thelasting operation of the wipers, that is, to effect the operationcommonly performed by means of a so-called retarder. Finally the wipers28 are fully operated to carry the lasting allowance of the upper Inover the margin of the insole l6 and press it thereagainst, whereuponthe latex cement causes instant adhesion between the upper and theinsole, and the wipers may be withdrawn and the shoe removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists inpreparing the toe portion of an upper for cement lasting by trimmingaway the lasting allowance of the lining and toe box, applying freshlatex cement to the insole and to the inner face of the upper, applyingheat directly to the fresh latex cement and immediately thereafterworking the upper into finally lasted position, pressing the upper andinsole together, and immediately releasing the pressure.

2. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists intrimming away the lasting allowance of the lining and toe box about thetoe of the shoe, utilizing end-embracing wipers to upwipe the upperabout the toe of the shoe, applying liquid latex cement to the innerface of the upper and the margin of the insole, rendering the freshlyapplied latex immediately adhesive by applying directly thereto a hotiron, and immediately utilizing the wipers to overwipe the lastingallowance of the upper and press it into contact with the insole.

3. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists intrimming away a substantial part of the lasting allowance of the uppermaterials about the toe of the shoe except that of the outer layer,utilizing end-embracing wipers to conform the upper materials about thetoe of the shoe to the shape of the last, applying liquid latex cementto the inner face of the lasting allowance of the outer layer and to themargin of the insole, rendering the freshly applied latex immediatelyadhesive by applying directly thereto a hot iron, and immediatelyutilizing the wipers to overwipe the lasting allowance of the outerlayer and to press it into contact with the insole.

4. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists intrimming away a substantial part of the lasting allowance of the uppermaterials about the toe of the shoe except that of the outer layer,utilizing end-embracing wipers to conform the upper materials about thetoe of the shoe to the shape of the last, applying latex cement to theinner face of the lasting allowance of the outer layer and to the marginof the insole, rendering the latex immediately adhesive by applyingthereto a hot iron, utilizing the hot iron to hold the upper against theendembracing wipers, and immediately overwiping the lasting allowance ofthe outer layer and pressing it into contact with the insole.

5. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists inpreparing the one portion of an upper for cement lasting by trimmingaway the lasting allowance of the upper materials except that of theouter layer, applying liquid latex cement to the insole and to the innerface of the lasting allowance of the outer layer, applying heat directlyto the latex cement while still fresh and immediately thereafter workingthe upper into finally lasted position, pressing the upper and insoletogether, and immediately releasing the pressure.

6. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists intrimming back the lasting allowance of the upper materials which lieinside of the outer layer. thereof about the toe of the shoe, conformingthe upper materials about the toe of the shoe to the shape of the last,applying fresh latex cement to the inner face of the lasting allowanceof the outer layer and to the margin of the insole, rendering thefreshly applied latex adhesive by applying directly thereto a hot ironand immediately working the lasting allowance of the outer layer intolasted position over the margin of the insole, pressing it into contactwith the insole, and immedateely releasing the pressure.

HARRY 0. KING.

